Marriott to double number of all-inclusive hotels
Marriott International has announced a significant planned expansion of its all-inclusive portfolio through a long-term agreement with Sunwing Travel Group’s hotel division, Blue Diamond Resorts, which has an extensive portfolio of resort properties throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico. The Caribbean has several islands where getting hotels on points is tricky. Barbados recently gained a substantial number of hotels through Marriott’s purchase of the Elegant hotels group.
The agreement will add19 franchised resorts totaling nearly 7,000 rooms across six destinations and more than doubling the company’s presence in the all-inclusive segment to 33 properties by 2025. The majority of the properties are expected to be converted into Marriott’s Autograph Collection by mid-2021.
“We are thrilled to work with Sunwing Travel Group and expand into two new leisure destinations – St. Lucia and Antigua,” said Tony Capuano, Group President, Global Development, Design and Operations Services, Marriott International. “Blue Diamond’s expertise in the all-inclusive segment and high-quality resorts will help ensure that these properties serve as excellent additions to the Marriott portfolio. Today’s signing is a testament to Marriott International’s scale and loyalty platform, and we look forward to providing travelers seeking an all-inclusive experience with more choices in the Caribbean and Latin America.”
The hotels are:
Mexico
- 840-room Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort & Spa
- 343-room Hideaway at Royalton Riviera Cancun
- 566-room Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Cancun
- 332-room Planet Hollywood Adults Scene Cancun
- 457-room Royalton CHIC Suites Cancun Resort & Spa
Dominican Republic
- 730-room Royalton Bavaro Resort & Spa
- 320-room Royalton CHIC Punta Cana Resort & Spa
- 525-room Royalton Splash Punta Cana Resort & Spa
- 317-room Royalton Punta Cana Resort & Casino
- 168-room Hideaway at Royalton Punta Cana
Jamaica
- 352-room Royalton White Sands Montego Bay
- 228-room Royalton Blue Waters Montego Bay
- 140-room Hideaway at Royalton Negril
- 407-room Royalton Negril Resort & Spa
St. Lucia
- 290-room Royalton Saint Lucia Resort & Spa
- 166-room Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia
Antigua
- 294-room Royalton Antigua Resort & Spa
Costa Rica
- 294-room Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Costa Rica
British Airways to power future flights with sustainable aviation fuel by 2022
I’m delighted to hear that by as early as next year, BA could be flying some aircraft with sustainable aviation fuel. There is enough flight and travel shaming going on with the pandemic, so it will be good to be able to travel with a clear eco-conscience in the relatively near future.
British Airways is to power future flights with sustainable aviation fuel produced from sustainably-sourced ethanol, as part of a new partnership with sustainable jet fuel company LanzaJet.
The partnership, which reflects the importance the airline is placing on sustainability and its continued investment in sustainable aviation fuel, will see British Airways invest in LanzaJet’s first commercial-scale Freedom Pines Fuels facility in Georgia, USA, and acquire cleaner-burning sustainable aviation fuel from the plant. It expects the fuel to be available to power a number of its flights by the end of 2022. In addition, the partnership will involve LanzaJet implementing early stage planning and design for a potential commercial facility for British Airways in the UK.
The plant in Georgia is due to begin construction this year. It will convert sustainable ethanol (a chemical compound widely blended with petrol to reduce its carbon intensity) into sustainable aviation fuel using a patented chemical process. The fuel produced at the plant will deliver a reduction of more than 70 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fossil jet fuel, equivalent to taking almost 27,000 petrol or diesel cars off the road each year.
The sustainable aviation fuel produced by LanzaJet is made via the LanzaJet™ Alcohol to Jet (AtJ) Process, which can use any source of sustainable ethanol, including, but not limited to, ethanol made from non-edible agricultural residues such as wheat straw and recycled pollution. Commercialisation of AtJ has been years in the making, starting with the partnership between LanzaTech (which launched LanzaJet in June 2020) and the U.S Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).
The development and use of sustainable aviation fuels is a major focus for British Airways and forms part of the airline’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 through a series of short, medium and long-term initiatives. The airline has an existing partnership with sustainable fuels technology company Velocys, with the goal of building a facility to convert household and commercial waste into renewable sustainable jet fuel in the UK. Fuel could be produced by 2025.
British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group, will be investing US$400 million in sustainable aviation fuel in the next 20 years.
Sean Doyle, British Airways’ CEO, said:“Despite the crisis in global aviation, it is vital for our future that we continue to address climate change and we remain focused on playing our part to reduce the impact we have on the planet. For the last 100 years we have connected Britain with the world and the world with Britain, and to ensure our success for the next 100, we must do this sustainably.
“Progressing the development and commercial deployment of sustainable aviation fuel is crucial to decarbonising the aviation industry and this partnership with LanzaJet shows the progress British Airways is making as we continue on our journey to net zero.
“Following the successful start-up of the Georgia plant, we hope to then deploy the technology and SAF production capacity in the UK. The UK has the experience and resources needed to become a global leader in the deployment of such sustainable aviation fuel production facilities, and we need Government support to drive decarbonisation and accelerate the realisation of this vision.”
